Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot

Plot:

Characters:

Dialogue/ Writing:

Ending:

Cover:

Genre/ Audience: Realistic Fiction/ Romance for Young Adults

Katie Ellison is a big-time liar: she is running for the title of Quahog Princess, but she can't stand the clams her town is famous for, and she juggles two boyfriends. But the lie that weighs on her soul the most is the big secret that she is keeping about her former best friend, Tommy. To complicate matters, Tommy suddenly returns to town after a four-year absence that began after he spilled the beans about local football players who cheated on their SATs. Katie sorts through her attraction to multiple guys, including Tommy, who became all grown up and gorgeous while he was away.

Okay, so this was one of the many books I read on my trip to Georgia, and along with How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation by Simone Elkeles, one of my favorites from the trip. I decided I should write this review first to kick off our Month of Romance. And my book didn't have a cover on it, because it was a hardcover without it's sleeve that I borrowed from one of the girls at book club, (Which just FYI, we are having another meeting soon after Fourth of July, so look for that post soon!) so I just saw the cover for the first time. Anyways, to the review!

When I read this book, I immediately fell in love with it. But of course, it would be amazing, since it's by Meg Cabot. First of all, though this isn't something I rate individually, I loved the setting. It was so cute how it was set in a small tourist town on the coast of Connecticut. (Woo! Go me for spelling Connecticut right the first try!) And I found it relatable, because I have a special place on Lake Superior I visit for most of the summer with my family. Anyways, in this little town, the quahogs are a big deal. Quahogs as in the clam... and Quahogs as in the town's star football team. And these Quahogs made for quite an interesting plot, since everyone either adored them, hated the adoration they got, or both. Cabot wrote SO well, that even I was getting pissed at the Quahogs' special treatment. And of course, I loved another element in the plot, a LOVE TRIANGLE. oooooooh. And the characters in this love triangle were amazing. First, the cute puppy dog boyfriend Seth. Then, there was Katie's other boyfriend Eric, who happens to be a self centered actor, but extremely hot. And then you throw in the old friend who came back in town and is now extremely hot, Tommy. Obviously, if I can describe the characters like this, you know Cabot wrote them pretty dang well. And because of this little love triangle and Katie's secret hate for the Quahogs (big small town no no), the plot was amazingly juicy. Overall, the plot, the characters, and the writing were extremely well done. Oh and the ending! Well, I won't give you a spoiler, but it was one of those endings that just makes you sigh with happiness. Yeah, it was that good. Go read it now!

Love always,

Amanda